


Oh, Baby, You Could Devastate Me

by kittytbh



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Cheating, M/M, Sad Louis, sex mention
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-05
Updated: 2015-08-05
Packaged: 2018-04-13 02:16:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4504014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kittytbh/pseuds/kittytbh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He feels his lip wobble on the slow descent down into the tub. Louis stares at the now silent faucet and breathes hard, eyes stinging. It's porcelain, hand crafted and specially made for his and Harry's home. Louis feels like it's mocking him. He knows he's spiraling to a place that he doesn't need to be in but he can't help it. The faucet fogs up slightly from the steam rising under it and the usually glistening porcelain dulls down to a stagnant white. Louis closes his eyes and holds his breath. He slips down into the water and sits for as long as he can, wetting his hair and trying to block out the sad voice in his head. <em>You and Harry used to take baths together. Do you remember his warm body pressed against yours? He used to love you so much.</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	Oh, Baby, You Could Devastate Me

**Author's Note:**

> un-beta'd and written in like 5 hours. enjoy!  
> title from Hurricane by Halsey

Louis sighs and flops down on the couch. It's 3 am in London where he is, which means it's 8 pm in Los Angeles where Harry is. Louis looks over at his carry on bag and contemplates taking his phone out to call Harry to chat aimlessly but he knows the boy is probably sitting somewhere in a jacuzzi drinking piss water beer and smoking a joint and having sex with beautiful models.

 

He shakes his head to clear the thought and stands up, ignoring the crack his knee makes and stumbles his way into their bedroom. Louis strips and winces at the stale airplane smell sticking to him even in his naked state. He shuffles into the en suite and flips the handle to "closed" on the tub and fills up the large bath with warm water.

 

Louis waits for the claw footed bathtub to fill while looking at himself in the mirror. He's tired, so unbelievably tired and it's obvious in his face. His under eye circles are more purple than ever, his hair is droopy and sad, and his bottom lip is bitten raw from the plane. He's never been good at flying alone, not that he'd tell anyone.

 

He feels his lip wobble on the slow descent down into the tub. Louis stares at the now silent faucet and breathes hard, eyes stinging. It's porcelain, hand crafted and specially made for his and Harry's home. Louis feels like it's mocking him. He knows he's spiraling to a place that he doesn't need to be in but he can't help it. The faucet fogs up slightly from the steam rising under it and the usually glistening porcelain dulls down to a stagnant white. Louis closes his eyes and holds his breath. He slips down into the water and sits for as long as he can, wetting his hair and trying to block out the sad voice in his head. _You and Harry used to take baths together. Do you remember his warm body pressed against yours? He used to love you so much._

 

When Louis comes up for air he hears a quiet knock on the bedroom door. He sighs and shakily gets up from the water and doesn't bother with a towel before opening the door, looking down at a box. He picks up the sticky note clinging to the return label.

 

_Hi Louis. This was outside and I didn't want it to get soggy but you didn't answer the front door. I don't know if you're asleep but sweet dreams anyway_

_-Alberto_

 

Louis feels his lips curl up a little at the words and his eyes crinkle slightly. His face drops, however, when he looks back down at the box. Louis folds the sticky note and places it on the dresser by the door, pulling out a big white shirt from Harry's side of the drawers and slips it on. He doesn't breathe in the smell anymore like he used to, his heart too fragile to try.

 

He tries to pick it up but the box makes it an inch off the ground before slamming back down to the floor, upper body strength failing him for the first time in a while. Louis sighs shakily at the voice in his head. _If Harry was here he could've gotten it for you. Why don't you call him? Oh right, he's too busy fucking people that aren't you._

Louis pushes the box gently with his feet over to the study next to the master bedroom. Everything is a little dusty and hardly used but still clean. He grabs a pair of scissors from the big wooden desk in front of the bay window and begins opening up the box carefully. He shakes a little when the voice comes back, making him miss the tape and cut a scratch into the cardboard. _Remember the games you and Harry used to play in here? Don't you miss Professor Styles, Mr. Tomlinson? What other student has he been punishing?_

 

Louis presses a shaking hand to his thigh, fat bulging up as he sits back on his haunches. He feels his cock twitch gently from the memories and he whimpers quietly, pulling his hand up to cover his mouth before letting out a sob. He doesn't want to remember, he just wants to sleep and sleep and sleep and never wake up. Louis sniffles and forcefully wipes over his eyes, clearing the tears.

 

He finishes opening the box after calming himself slightly. When he looks inside, however, his brain abandons sadness for a minute and it's replaced with confusion. There are around 50 clear packages inside with tufts of wool and cotton in all colors and sizes. There are needles, too. Long thick needles with hooks at the end and a few colored pen-like things with three needles where the ink would come out.

 

Louis stares at everything in confusion. Who would send him so many needle felting kits? He turns the flap of the box back over and looks at the shipping label. It's addressed to him but there's no return label anywhere on the box. He sifts through the papers that came with it and pauses when he comes across a long letter.

 

He opens it up fully and takes a deep breath.

 

_Hi, baby. I bet you're wondering why I sent you all these needles and wool packets!_

Louis feels sick to his stomach and has to pause for a moment, backtracking to stare at the word "baby". He feels his eyes sting but he's too curious to stop reading.

 

_I know you get lonely when I'm not around and trust me, I probably get even more upset than you do. Whenever I'm here in LA it takes me a few days to stop being sad when I wake up to an empty bed (but it really doesn't go away). I always miss your smile and your warm little hands always touching me and your little limpet body holding on to me. You've been a bit distant for the last few weeks and I think I figured out why._

 

Louis swallows down the bile crawling it's way up his throat and adjusts himself so he's sitting on his bottom and not his calves, ignoring the pins and needles in his feet.

 

_You don't have a hobby! I mean, footie and games are always fun but I know you have lots of anxiety and stress going on around you and sometimes you just need a sit-down hobby that you can concentrate on and relieve a little stress. You don't like meditating, Pinterest, or running like I do so I looked up some stuff and even though I know you'd probably like embroidery I know you'd enjoy making little animals MORE!_

_I had to do some important stuff in LA and I'm sorry I couldn't be with you for the first few days of our break. I don't know when you'll receive this but I'll be home on the 5th and I expect to see some new puppies and kitties hanging around by the time I get back! I love you more than anything in the world!!!!!! Have fun!_

_\- H_

 

Louis' throat is so tight that if he managed to swallow some coal he'd shit out diamonds. He lets his tears fall this time around, sobs wracking his lithe little body. He forces his eyes open so he can read the letter over and over again. He doesn't want to get his hopes up but he just feels so, so, happy for the few minutes he sits on the study room carpet.

 

He struggles a bit while standing up, muscles weak from exhaustion. Louis wobbles over to the big window and he opens all of the blinds. The sun is rising slowly, sky bright orange despite the clouds. He sits on the padded bench and sniffles, staring at a random cum stain on the blue fabric. Louis lets out a sigh and chews at his bottom lip, contemplating.

 

The clock ticking away on the wall says it's 6:30 and Louis furrows his brows in confusion. He got in the bath at 3, how had time passed so quickly? He shook his head and cracked his back, preparing to clean up the mess he had made in the study. There was no way he could sleep.

 

Most of the supplies had made it neatly back into the box when 7 rolled around. Louis pushed the box towards the desk and wiped at the little bead of sweat that trailed down his neck. He picked up the last kit left out and sat it on the desk, pulling out a plastic container that held one of the needles and sat down at the office chair.

 

The package was all in Chinese. He could barely decipher the instructions just going off of the photos so he grabbed his laptop from the living room and opening up YouTube. Louis bit his lip and glanced back at the door. The blue eyed boy contemplated grabbing his phone and trying to call or text Harry but he shook his head and looked up a tutorial.

 

______

 

Louis finally passed out at 2:30. He had researched needle felting extensively; watching videos, reading blog posts, the works. He had successfully finished a cute little turtle at about 11 and then a goldfish at 2. He had opened a package with a little calico cat on it but his eyes were too heavy to look at anything after he opened it. He shakily made his way back into the master bedroom and collapsed on the bed, asleep in seconds.

 

______

 

He woke up again at 9 am the next day, stomach growling aggressively and phone ringing in the other room. Louis groaned loudly before getting up and scuttling into the kitchen. He pulled open the fridge and took out a nectarine to munch on while scavenging for the Chinese takeout menu. Louis jumped in surprise when his phone went off again, shuffling into the living room and picking it up.

 

Louis fumbled, nearly dropping the fruit in his hand in his haste to answer. The screen flashed a photo of he and Harry smiling into a kiss, a frog emoji next to an eggplant above it. He slid his thumb across the screen.

 

"Hello?" Louis winced at his voice. He hadn't said anything in almost two days and he was raspier than usual.

 

"Hi, baby. You sound sick, are you alright little one?" Louis bit off the hangnail on his index finger and cleared his throat. His knees buckled and he fell backwards on to the couch. "No, I'm not sick. I just woke up and haven't used my voice yet."

 

Harry hummed and Louis heard a shuffling that he knew was Harry fixing his hair. "Well I'm coming home today and I just wanted to remind you! Did you get my package?" Louis closed his eyes and ignored the sticky juice of the nectarine sliding down his wrist.

 

"Yea. Yea I got the package. Thank you, Harry," Louis felt his lip wobble and he hoped Harry hadn't heard the break in his voice.

 

It was obvious he had heard it, "Louis? Louis, baby, why are you crying? Did you not like the needle felting?" Harry's voice was frantic and a little tinny through the speaker. Louis let out a small sob and bit his lip. "C'mon doll tell me what's wrong, I wanna help."

 

Louis sniffled, "Harry are you cheating on me?" There was dead silence on Harry's side of the phone. Louis curled in on himself and felt his face pinch up, "Harry? A-are you there?"

 

"What in gods name gave you the idea that I was cheating on you?" Harry's dumbfounded voice came through the speaker, finally. Louis swallowed down the whimper in the back of his throat.

 

"You-you've been so ready to just get away from me for the last 3 months. Every time we go on break you stay in LA and I have to come home so it doesn't look suspicious. Whenever I leave for the airport you hardly say goodbye or even acknowledge I'm there." Louis dropped the fruit on to the coffee table before continuing.

 

"Whenever we cuddled you were on your phone but you barely even responded to me when I texted you at any time of day. I see all these pap photos of you and random people I've never met or heard of that are all so gorgeous and you never even bother to call me when I'm away." Louis choked on a sob, finally cutting himself off to let his tears go.

 

Harry breathed heavily in and out, whispering a quiet " _fuck_ ". Louis bit his lip to quiet himself and winced at the pressure on the raw skin. "Baby, I've been trying to do something important for four months now. I wanted to keep it a secret and surprise you but I can see that's doing more harm than good and I should probably tell you now so we don't end up doing anything stupid.

 

Louis held his breath, eyes still stinging and slowly leaking tears. "So. Management said I couldn't do this unless I did a lot of staged pap photos and a few LA radio interviews. There's a house, babe, out here that's fucking beautiful and big and just perfect for us..."

 

____

 

When Harry got home that afternoon it was to a sleeping Louis. The boy was curled up in a ball on the couch, clutching his phone and shivering without a blanket. All the stress in Harry's body immediately flooded out and his lips curled up into a gentle smile. He lumbered over to the couch and slid his arms under Louis' sleeping form and quietly tip toed into the master bedroom, laying Louis back down on his side of the bed.

 

Harry stripped completely and carefully climbed in next to him, wrapping the boy's body up in his arms and breathing him in. Louis lays still and small in Harry's embrace. The younger boy tucks his face into Louis' soft hair and falls asleep.

 

____

 

Louis wakes up later feeling refreshed and happy. Though, he doesn't remember falling asleep in bed or being in the bed with someone else. His eyes snap open and he pulls back just enough to see Harry's curls and his sharp square jaw. He blushes and realizes there isn't a single part of their body that isn't touching. Louis bites his lip and gently lifts Harry's arm up and away from him, backing out of the bed.

 

He sighs triumphantly and swings a leg over the bed. Louis lets out a yelp when he's grabbed around the waist and pulled back into bed, Harry crawling on top of him and weighing him down. He feels a smile pressed to his collar bone. "What do you think you're doing, baby?"

 

Louis licks his lips, "m'trying to get up. What are _you_ doing?" Harry kisses his collar bone and trails more little kisses up and on to his face, finally making it to Louis' mouth. Harry gives him a long closed mouthed kiss. "There's no way you're getting up without me, mister. We're going for a bath. I smell like airplane and I need you to come with me."

 

Before Louis can answer he's picked up bridal style and taken into the en suite, giggling into Harry's neck the whole way there. The taller man sets Louis down on the counter and moves to fill the tub up, adding in a few caps full of bubble bath. They climb in together and Louis sighs contentedly. He almost forgot what it was like to have a strong body hold him in that way.

 

____

 

After that it becomes a _thing_. Louis makes so many little kitties and monkeys and llamas that the study eventually becomes his craft room. After he becomes a pro at the process he decides to start giving them to people.

 

It starts with the boys. Every time they came back from a tour break they would wake up on the second day to find a tiny little soft animal in their suitcases. It freaked them out the first few times, confused as to who was making them and how they were getting them into their suitcases.

 

Liam was the one who figured it out. After the 4th time he found a little animal in his suitcase (a little rabbit) he decided to film his hotel room for the entirety of his stay. When he went over the footage the next day, he was surprised to see Louis in his hotel room during the time Liam had decided to shower.

 

He watched as on-screen-Louis gave the rabbit a small kiss on the nose before storing it in Liam's bag. The whole thing was extremely cute and he couldn't believe his eyes.

 

Liam brought it up the next day during breakfast. "So, I know who's been putting little friends in our suitcases." Everyone dropped what they were doing and stared at him. "It's Louis. He's been putting little animals in our suitcases for almost a year." Everyone turned their heads to Louis who was flushed a deep red and staring at the table.

 

The biggest surprise, though, was how he reacted. They were all stunned when the eldest boys eyes filled with tears. He hunched in on himself, "do you guys really hate them that much? I can stop if you like..."

 

The crew stood around, stunned at his reaction. Niall didn't bother to finish the food in his mouth before talking. "I really like my little friends that I get. I put them in the little mesh bag thing attached to my bunk in the bus. When I'm lonely I look at 'em and smile a bit."

 

Zayn cleared his throat and sipped some orange juice. "Yea; that little octopus you made me is my favorite. I had my sister sew a little chord onto it and it's hanging from my rear view mirror."

 

Liam didn't bother talking, he just scrambled out of his seat and enveloped Louis in a bear hug. Harry smiled from his seat and made eye contact with Louis, drinking the rest of his coffee and taking a bite of his bagel.

 

____

 

Louis hummed to himself as he finished gluing a pair of eyes on to the sweet face of a little lion. He looked at his newest creation and bit his lip, trying to think of what was missing. He pulled out an eyeshadow palette from a desk drawer and swiped his finger in the baby pink color. He dabbed the powder on to the little guy and giggled. It was just so damn cute! Louis sat the little guy down and sighed happily.

 

He stood up and stretched a bit, looking at the open study room/craft corner door and thinking about Harry, when he'd be home. Louis turned around and kneeled on the blue cushion, opening up all three sets of blinds. He watched a little bird hop around on the tree beside the house for a little bit, smiling at the chirps it let out.

 

Louis jumped in surprise a minute later, mouth opening in a yelp as a pair of hands gripped his waist. He looked down and saw a familiar set of rings and relaxed. "Hello Harry, when did you get back?"

 

He bit back a whimper when Harry leaned forward, his semi fitting snugly in the crease of Louis' arse. "That's Professor Styles to you, Tomlinson. Do I have to teach you some manners?" Harry pressed a small kiss to his ear.

 

He giggled a tiny bit, "so sorry Professor Styles. It won't happen again." He smirked and wiggled backwards a bit making Harry groan into his ear.

 

Harry kissed down his neck and sucked a little mark into the soft skin of his shoulder, "you wanna give this bench a few more stains, baby?"

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos/comments are very much appreciated! Thank you for reading~  
> [Find me on Tumblr!](http://pentacle.tumblr.com/)


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